Concern over the potentially damaging consequences of drilling for natural gas through hydraulic fracturing (“fracking”) is of major concern to a few state legislatures, media sources, and environmental groups, but we’ve yet to see it linked directly as a drawback to more natural gas vehicles making it to US roads. Fracking poses little risk of triggering significant earthquakes, according to a Natural Research Council report, but the method of disposing the wastewater from fracking by injecting it permanently underground could cause an increased risk of earthquakes strong enough for people to feel, the scientists said.
Fracking is a campaign issue in a few states in the Midwest and Eastern regions. Mitt Romney has taken on the issue, focusing on states’ rights to regulate the process and that the federal government (Obama administration) needs to get off their backs. The bigger issue is the higher acquisition costs for NGVs versus internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles. One analyst said an NGV that might be about $5,500 more than its ICE counterpart would take nine years to catch up and break even with.